Boomer Health: Furry ‘bandit’ steals runners’ hearts
Road-race organizers, and participants, detest what the industry calls bandits.
While you and I dutifully pay our entry fees, which raise money for worthy charities, these fitness scofflaws blithely traverse the cordoned-off course – unregistered.
They rehydrate at the aid stations and help themselves to the complimentary post-race goodies.
Most have the common decency – or survival instinct, lest they be caught – to peel off to the side before actually crossing the finish line.
Yes, bandits are the bane of runners, walkers, volunteers and race sponsors the world over.
Ah, but for every rule, there is an exception – or, in this case, a racing bandit whose natural charisma steals the hearts of all who meet him.
Of course, this charming half-marathoner has a couple of irresistible, built-in advantages – namely, his running style (four-legged) and attire (fur).
Meet Dozer, a 3-year-old goldendoodle (half golden retriever, half poodle), whose recent weekend sojourn has made him world-famous.
Unlikely racer
Early on a Sunday morning in May, unbeknownst to his owner, Dozer escaped from his Fulton, Md., home’s electronically fenced yard.
The Maryland Half-Marathon, which benefits the University of Maryland’s Greenebaum Cancer Center, was being held nearby.
When Dozer, full of energy and a sense of adventure, happened upon the hordes of runners, he nonchalantly joined them. Runners and other observers later reported that they started seeing Dozer’s leisurely trot at about the 5-mile mark of the 13.1-mile race.
A dog participating in a road race isn’t unheard of. But it’s usually in a much shorter event, such as a 5K – and while on the master’s leash.
However, Dozer was so composed, friendly and well-behaved, nobody suspected anything amiss. Like any smart runner, he made sure to stay hydrated, gratefully lapping up the aid-station water that volunteers set before him.
Dozer was photographed several times during the race, and the 27-second, homemade video of him casually loping toward the inflatable finish-line chute is priceless. It’s gone viral on YouTube, with more than 253,000 views ().
Post-race hero
Much to his frantic owner’s relief, Dozer somehow found his way back home, returning early the next morning a bit dirty and dehydrated. Rosana Dorsett said that her dog-tired pet slept for most of that Monday and Tuesday, but a precautionary trip to the vet confirmed he was none the worse for wear.
Soon thereafter, word began spreading around town – and to local news stations – about a dog who ran the half-marathon. Race organizers wanted to meet the remarkable mutt, and to present him with his much-deserved finisher’s medal.
When the finish-line video surfaced, and Dorsett could confirm that it was indeed Dozer ambling along, she contacted Maryland Half-Marathon race officials.
Not only did they give Dozer his hardware and promise him the VIP (very important pooch) treatment for next year’s race, they started a fund-raising page in his honor (www.umms
foundation.org/dozer). To date, more than $16,000 has been raised in Dozer’s name for cancer research .
Should Dozer choose to run in next year’s race, organizers already have a race bib ready for him.
Dozer’s number? Why, K-9, of course.
stevedorfman@pbpost.com
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